In Bloom
by BadMagick
Summary: When darkness takes over, Astoria has never felt so alone before like she does now. Will Draco finally rise to be all he can be? AU. Rated M.


**A/N: **A story based on the Astoria/Draco pairing since there aren't many stories of them. I can picture Draco with a Slytherin that helps him see life beyond blood purity and status. Begins during the Battle of Hogwarts and will continue from there.

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**In Bloom**

**Astoria x Draco**

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Screams, cries, crashes, curses, spells, tears, blood; WAR, it's everywhere, it's surrounding a fifteen year old girl searching desperately through what used to be her school. Hogwarts was no longer an institution for young witches and wizards to learn magic, make friends, and call a home away from home. It became a battle field, and Astoria Greengrass never intended on fighting.

However, the underage witch ended up mixed in it all as she bolted from room to room, dodging stray spells, diving out of the way of collapsing walls, all the while calling out her older sister's name.

"_DAPHNE_!" It seemed almost hopeless, but Astoria continued on. "Daphne, where are you?"

Daphne was seventeen, she could fight, but Astoria knew her sister would never choose that. They had been moments from leaving Hogwarts when Daphne suddenly disappeared from the evacuation line. Astoria realized too late but still darted off the find her, enterring the doom that had befallen Hogwarts.

Her mind swirled with thoughts of what could have happened to Daphne, her heart pounding in her chest. Tears were threatening to come, because never had Astoria imagined ever being in a situation like this. She was honestly terrified, scared to death that she may never find her sister or may never make it out of Hogwarts alive. Still Astoria clutched her wand and kept moving forward.

Where would her sister be? What if Daphne went on through the evacuation without her, and this was all a wild goose chase?

Yeah, that sounded like Daphne.

"Oh!" Astoria gasped. Someone had grabbed the bottom of her Slytherin robe, and when Astoria looked down, weak glassy eyes peered back up at her.

"Please... help me..." The girl's robes proved she was in Hufflepuff, but her name escaped Astoria. That didn't matter, Astoria bent down and helped prop the girl up against a wall. She sat there and Astoria checked her for wounds. A large gash traveled up the side of her entire left leg and wouldn't stop bleeding. Although Astoria was smart for a fifth-year, she couldn't recall of any spell to fix _that_.

Instead of using magic, Astoria took off her robe and tore a long piece to wrap around the girl's leg. "Who did this to you?" Astoria asked as she continued wrapping the leg.

"A werewolf," the Hufflepuff took short, quick breaths, "He was.. so fast..."

"Werewolf?"

"We have to... get out of... here... before he.. comes back..."

Astoria nodded, quickly finishing the wrapping of the leg. "Can you walk?"

"I can try... o-oh m-my... _BEHIND YOU_!"

Astoria whipped around with her wand, but she was knocked through the air with ease. Greyback's strong arm was no match for the small brunette, sending Astoria tumbling into the floor several yards away. Her wand rolled away.

Astoria's head throbbed with pain after impact with the floor and she blinked several times until the clouds in her vision faded, but the scene before her, she didn't want to see. Yet she couldn't look away.

Greyback raised the girl from Hufflepuff into the air by her neck, baring his fangs that dripped with saliva, hungry to bite into her tender flesh and pour blood.

In a phase of shock, Astoria could barely breath and felt her body tremble. She pat the floor, searching for her wand desperately. _Where's my wand... where's my wand?_

The girl screamed louder.

"Let her go!" Astoria's voice was quickly drowned out by the sound of ripping flesh. Greyback tore his fangs into the other girl's throat like he was taking a bite out of a sandwich. He didn't even blink as her skin opened and blood spilled onto the floor. Astoria sat shaking on the ground, utterly helpless.

Finally, Astoria shed tears.

"Stop.. STOP IT!" It was pointless to yell this, the nameless girl was no longer making a sound and her eyes rolled to the back of her head. Greyback continued savaging the body, biting and ripping flesh, tearing off limbs, right before Astoria's wide eyes.

When he was done, the Hufflepuff was no longer a recognizeable human being.

_What did she ever do to deserve this?_

The moment Greyback turned to her, Astoria ran. She clumsily sprinted up a stairwell, stumbling a few times, but it was the only area nearby not blown to bits.

_I thought I saw him smile... he enjoys murdering children, and he's going to kill me!_

Astoria collided with a body just as she was turning up another row of stairs. She stumbled back in fear.

"You..." she couldn't belive it was him.

Draco Malfoy was as white as a ghost, and it didn't help that he was wearing an all black suit, bringing out his pale complexion and displaying his unheathily thin frame. Astoria finally noticed that he was pointing his wand straight at her and it almost poked the tip of her nose.

If this was how she was going to die, then so be it. It was much better than being ripped to shreds by that terrifying werewolf. Yet Draco looked her up and down, recognizing her Slytherin uniform, and lowered his wand.

She read his eyes; there was fear also in them.

"Draco, have you-" Cut off by a loud explosion, the stairs beneath her began to collapse. Astoria screamed as she felt herself sink into the rubble, before Draco grabbed her thin arm and pulled her to safety.

"Thank you..." she muttered, catching her breath.

"Have you seen Potter?"

"No, I haven't..."

Draco didn't wait any longer, turning sharply on his heel and heading down the hallway.

"Wait! You're going to bring Harry Potter to the Dark Lord, aren't you?" Astoria asked.

"And why does it matter to you? Do I even know you?" Draco spat, turning back to her.

_Does he even know me?_

Of course not. Draco Malfoy was always too important to associate with others from Hogwarts. He made that obvious when he leftand chose to become a Death Eater. Even Daphne said he pushed away everyone dear to him in Slytherin, including Pansy Parkinson. That never stopped Astoria from secretly admiring him, and wondering when she would ever see him again.

Funny they would officially meet under these circumstances.

"I know this is rotten timing for introductions, but I'm Astoria Greengrass."

"Greengrass? You mean-"

"I'm Daphne's little sister," Astoria nodded, "Speaking of Daphne, have you seen her anywhere?"

"She's with Pansy. You're too young to be here, I suggest you leave."

"Not until I find my sister."

"Suit yourself, I don't really care what happens to you," Draco turned away.

"You're going to leave me unprotected?" Astoria gapped.

"You're not my responsibility!"

"What ever happened to Slytherin loyalty?"

"I have a prior engagment-"

"Still playing Voldemort's slave? How's that going for you?"

"Shut your fucking mouth!"

Suddenly, Voldemort's amplified voiced silenced the arguing pair. "_Harry Potter is dead. He was killed as he ran away, trying to save himself while you lay down your lives for him. We bring you his body as proof that your hero is gone. The battle is won. You have lost half of your fighters. My Death Eaters outnumber you, and the Boy Who Lived is finished. There must be no more war. Anyone who continues to resist, man, woman or child, will be slaughtered, as well every member of their family. Come out of the castle now, kneel before him, and you shall be spared. Your parents and children, your brothers and sisters will live and be forgiven, and you will join me in the new world we shall build together._"

Astoria looked at Draco's pathetic white face, "Well then, I guess you finally got what you've always wanted."

* * *

Everyone stepped out from the Entrance Hall. Astoria shuffled behind of Draco, staring up at the back of his head with harsh judgement in her eyes. She regretted all those years that she harbored feelings for him; Draco truly never cared about anyone but himself.

The defenders of Hogwarts squared off with the Dark Lord's followers, and Astoria's brown eyes went huge upon spotting her sister standing beside of Pansy with Voldemort. Daphne and Pansy both wore black cloaks. Astoria couldn't believe this; her sister had abandoned her entire family for... evil.

"Daphne.. no..." muttered Astoria, completely stricken.

Voldemort gave his proposal, to join him or die. Draco's parents called to him, and for a moment, Draco was very still.

He was actually hesitating.

"Go on," whispered Astoria behind him, "Follow those murderers, Draco."

Draco's lip quivered and his expression appeared tortured. He tilted his head only slightly to acknowledge the girl encouraging and guilting him at the same time. Eventually, a choice had to be made and he made it, taking steps toward the Dark Lord.

Voldemort greeted him with open arms.

Daphne could finally see her sister, "ASTORIA!" She didn't understand how her younger sister ended up here, but added, "Join us!"

Astoria's face flickered with disgust; she turned her back on the Death Eaters and walked away.


End file.
